Andrew Lloyd-Webber has an amazing run of hits on stage and screen. Now, he is hoping to help encourage another generation of musicians by supporting music education in schools.
It's a program called Rock the Schools. Andrew Lloyd Webber announced October 20th that he will provide musical instruments for twenty public middle schools across New York City as part of the new program.
Lloyd-Webber said that ever since he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, (you can watch the film version here), for a school nearly 50 years ago, he has been passionate about music in education. He was quoted as saying, “The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation has pioneered a scheme in problem public schools in Britain where every child receives a free musical instrument and free music tuition for their entire school career. 3,000 children are now part of this scheme and their academic achievements as a result have been transformed.”
Here's hoping other composers and performers who have been able to make a career of music will follow Lloyd-Webber's lead.